THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A project that has been idling for the last two years has now begun to throw up certain contradictions. Responding to the City Express report on how the prospect of a SAI sub-centre in the city has been jeopardised by inordinate procedural delays, G Kishore, Regional Director, SAI, has completely denied that Kerala had ever been considered for the southern sub-centre of SAI."Kerala has never been allotted a sub-centre. We had, in fact, planned to set up a sub-centre in Tamil Nadu in 2004-05. Even the foundation stone was laid. However, the project did not materialise. But SAI is not known to have ever considered Kerala for the project,’’ he said.When asked why SAI had forwarded a proposal to the State Government for granting ten acres of land adjacent to LNCPE, Kariavattom, he replied: ‘’The proposal was never forwarded for setting up the sub-centre. It was meant for the expansion of LNCPE campus. According to the proposal, the government was to grant the ten acres to SAI with a boundary wall and gate. However, the proposal is yet to be realised.’’Meanwhile, the SAI officials who have been closely associated with the project of the sub-centre in the city adjacent to the LNCPE are surprised by the Regional Director’s remarks. "We have been working so hard on this project ever since we were intimated about the setting up of the sub-centre in Kerala. We are shocked to get such a response from the Regional Director when there is enough clarity regarding the project of a sub-centre in the city,’’ said an official.The Regional Director continued to affirm that the entire project has been misinterpreted. "SAI had advocated the expansion of LNCPE campus and a training centre at Chadayamangalam. The training centre was mainly meant for women athletes. The finance committee of SAI had already given the approval for the training centre at Chadayamangalam. Again, the project was halted halfway due to certain issues over land acquisition. I suppose the project of the training centre has been completely misunderstood as the sub-centre.’’The officials who had told City Express how a prestigious project could be doomed differed with the Regional Director on this point as well. "We are well aware about the training centre in Chadayamangalam. It has nothing to do with the sub-centre. Also, the proposal for acquiring ten acres of land near LNCPE campus was never meant for the expansion of the college. The project was planned near LNCPE considering the tremendous possibilities for value-addition.’’
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